SOMERSET COUNTY -- With a few exceptions, Republicans reigned in Somerset County during yesterday’s general election, retaining their control of the Board of Freeholders, retaking control of the Green Brook Township Committee and ousting incumbents in Raritan and South Bound Brook.

Incumbent Republican Freeholder Jack Ciattarelli and Bridgewater Council President Patrick Scaglione defeated Democrats Cecilia Birge and Doug Singletary to retain complete control of the county freeholder board.

Somerset County Republican Chairman Dale Florio called the election “a huge victory” for the Republican party.

“It’s a historic in a lot of ways,” Florio said. “I think we had candidates that worked very hard.
They were retail candidates — they knocked on doors and they focused on the property tax issue. It’s a big issue and I think voters in New Jersey, in Somerset County feel that Republicans are best suited to work with financial issues.”

Republicans regained control of the Green Brook Township Committee, ousting incumbent mayor Melonie Marano and her running mate, according to unofficial results.

The Manville borough council now has a Republican majority as residents chose Sherri Lynn and Richard Onderko to fill the two municipal seats.
Voters chose the pair to tackle the flood control issue and stabilize taxes in the borough.

In Bridgewater, incumbent Republican Howard Norgalis and his running mates Allen Kurdyla and Dan Hayes made a clean sweep of three open slots on the township council to maintain total control of the legislative body for their party.

Bridgewater voters also narrowly rejected an extension of a reduced version of the township’s open space tax. The tax would have generated approximately $1 million for Bridgewater to purchase open space property over the next five years by charging the average household $46 a year.

Meanwhile, Democrat Everett Merrill defeated former borough Republican councilman Jim McGarry in North Plainfield to retain the seat he was appointed to in January.

Residents also re-elected Somerville Democratic incumbents Robert Wilson and Thompson Mitchell. In a landslide, the two long-time council members swayed voters with experience and promises to restore the borough’s downtown area.

In Bedminster, Mayor Robert Holtaway and his running mate Steven Parker fended off a challenge from Democrats Grania Allport and Andrew Isaacs.